Comment by doublebind
1 month ago
That's great... for the HN reader.
However, how is that supposed to work for your significant other, or your mother, or your indifferent-to-technology friend?
Don't get me wrong, I also strive to keep my device's information private but, at the same time, I realize this has no practical use for most users.
The solution is the general populace becoming more tech literate, much like I became more literate in the yellow pages 20 years ago.
The reality is these are no longer mere tools, they are instruments for conducting life. They are a prerequisite to just about any activity, much like driving in the US.
We expect each and every citizen to have an intimate understanding of driving, including nuances, and an understanding of any and all traffic laws. And we expect them to do it in fractions of a second. Because that is the cost of utilizing those instruments to conduct life.
You install it from them. Past the initial install they get OTA updates.
Having said that it doesn't prevent them to check the "enable network" option when installing apps.
We can act on two levels. We (as a society) can work for regulation and we (computery people) can take direct action by developing and using software and hardware that works in the user's interest. One does not exclude the other.
That said. You can order a Pixel with GrapheneOS pre-installed and Google Apps and services can be isolated.